Composite materials employing cellulose microfibers including bacterial cellulose are being investigated enthusiastically in recent years. It is known that cellulose shows a low coefficient of linear expansion, high modulus of elasticity, and high strength because of the extended chain crystals thereof. Furthermore, cellulose is receiving attention as a material which, when reduced into fine fibers, gives a composite material showing high transparency.
In patent document 1, a composite material having improved moisture absorption characteristics and transparency was obtained by combining cellulose microfibers having a modified surface with another material. Disclosed therein as modifiers for the surface modification are aliphatic modifiers. The document discloses that acetyl group and methacryloyl group are especially preferred.
Patent document 2 discloses nonwoven fabric constituted of modified fibers into which a compound having an aromatic ring structure has been introduced as a compound for regulating optical anisotropy.
Furthermore, non-patent document 1 discloses benzoylated bacterial cellulose which shows thermotropic liquid crystallinity.